Cymbeline

Synopsis

Imogen marries Posthumus against her father's wishes. Posthumous is exiled and while there told that he has lost his bet that his wife would be faithful. He plots a jealous reunion and revenge. Unaware, Imogene travels to meet him but after some strange occurrences she gets into disguise as a man - in a drugged sleep in a cave with a man and his two sons she awakes next to a headless corpse.

Our Review:

13 June 2005

Cymbeline is one of the least performed of Shakespeare’s plays. To modern audiences, the overly elaborate plot - mixing elements of history, folk romance, a story from Bocaccio and a few swipes at Italians - might seem a trifle cumbersome.

The play hasn’t been seen in London since Mike Alfreds’ excellent production at the Globe four years ago. That was a remarkably clear and uncluttered version, which simply told the story and kept the audience involved. Now, boldly stepping up to the plate, it’s Rachel Kavanaugh who tackles this complex play.

The action starts with an unusually long and involved exposition scene. Kavanaugh makes this slightly more palatable by using the whole cast as the chorus – which also helps to identify the relevant characters. The director has wielded the knife at the text in several places, not least dispensing with the appearance of Jupiter to Posthumus. As a result of such pruning, things race along at a fair pace.

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Latest User Review

195.82.123.181) - 5 August 2005:

This rarely seen piece plays like an elaborate Shakespearean practical joke with its plot elements from so many other from the canon (I spotted Lear, R&J, 12th Night, As U Like It, Winters Tale, Pericles, Othello, Measure4Measure but I bet theres loads more), and the way it veers so wildly in tone from all-out comedy through deep tragedy to wintry romance. Not surprising it isn't done too often but there is so much going on (even this heavily cut version runs at 3 hrs!) it would be hard to get bored. Rachel Kavanaugh wisely lets the various strands of the play speak for themselves without imposing some kind of concept on them. This works well mostly, although the frantic pace she sets her cast does mean that much of the pathos is sold short, and by the time of the preposterous denoument there was much audience laughter (not all enitirely appropriate!). Also, given the sylvan beauty of Regents Park, it's a shame the set for this is so hideous. Most of the acting is fine: I liked Daniel Flynn and Emma Pallant's star-crossed lovers, Julian Curry's eloquent king, Harriet Thorpe's camply evil Queen and, above all, Simon Day's superbly oily villain. For me, James Loye's look-at-me-aren't-I-funny Cloten didn't work at all, not least because the dark side of the character barely registered. Am so glad I saw this as it is a bit of a collector's piece and was grateful that this production made it as easy to follow as is possible!!...

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